What’s in the Tentative Agreement Between PUSD and United Teachers of Pasadena?

(Photo – Grahics Dept.)

The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) announced that it has reached a tentative agreement with United Teachers of Pasadena (UTP) for 2023-2024 that includes a 10% increase in salary schedules and boosts health benefits for union members.

By News Desk

The proposed contract is subject to vote by members of UTP and must be approved by the PUSD Board of Education. The contract affects approximately 1,000 teachers and other certificated employees.

The agreement represents a 20% salary increase over two years, the largest increase in recent memory.

“We are very pleased to reach a tentative agreement with UTP,” said PUSD Interim Superintendent Elizabeth J. Blanco, Ed.D. “The agreement reflects our district’s commitment to increasing compensation for our outstanding and respected educators and ensures a rich academic experience for our students.”

The tentative agreement, which consists of a total financial package of a 10.95% increase in ongoing costs ($12,844,197) to PUSD, was reached after two months of negotiations between the district and UTP.

“This historic agreement provides a range of benefits to our teachers and positively impacts PUSD students, educators, and classrooms and positions PUSD to retain and attract talented professionals,” said Board of Education President Michelle Richardson Bailey.

Under the terms of the tentative agreement, the district will bear the increased health and welfare costs of 0.95% (or $1.1 million) instead of passing additional charges on to UTP members.  PUSD will pay up to a $1,000 deductible for vandalism or damage to members’ cars parked on or near school property.

Recognizing that all special education teachers assume additional duties, all special education teachers will get a $500 increase in stipends bringing the total up to $3,000 per year. The stipend was first added last year. Early childhood education teachers who have a bachelor’s degree will also receive a 5% one-time off-schedule bonus.

Provisions for safety and facility concerns are also included in the tentative agreement.